


Pretty Hurts

by CyborgWrites



Series: Pretty Lance [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: And find it in eachother, Lance and Lotor need love, Lotor is sweet, M/M, Matt is a good bro, Unrequited Polydins sort of, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-05 22:36:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12803856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyborgWrites/pseuds/CyborgWrites
Summary: Lance is pretty. Everyone thinks so. But what else?





	Pretty Hurts

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not usually one for the kind of langst where the team sucks but bear with me. I’m thinking mutual pining and unresolved romantic tension polydins with endgame Lancelot. Featuring ultimate bro Matt. Also, the paladins aren’t malicious they’re just a mess and it costs them.  
> Yes, there's some out of character shit. This is a what if thing.

 

Lance is fucking pretty. Everyone knows that.

Odette voice: What else?

He pines after the rest of the paladins and gushes over them all the time but aside from some encouragement from Hunk and a compliment here and there from Shiro… he doesn’t always see that in return. He tries not to let it get to him but eventually it makes him bitter.

Keith and Shiro approach him first. Shiro explains that they want him to join their relationship. Lance is delighted by the idea at first. Shiro? Kind, grounding Shiro? Brave and headstrong Keith? Like him??? Awesome.But he asks why they want him.

“Why wouldn’t we? You’re beautiful!” Says Keith.

Lance just…. stares at him…

“Thank you but… What else?”

When Keith takes too long to answer, Lance just smiles sadly and leaves, Shiro shaking his head at his boyfriend.

“Really, Keith?”

“Well you didn’t say anything either!”

“I’m sorry the idiocy you just exhibited was contagious and I was literally dumbstruck.”

Shiro sleeps alone that night and Keith leaves back to the Blades for another week the next day.

Next is Hunk. This one makes Lance smile because Hunk is such a ray of sunshine. He’s flattered to have his best friend’s attention.

Hunk who doesn’t want to risk ruining his friendship with Lance.

Hunk who is so obvious that Lance just has to ask.

“Hunk do you like me?”

Hunk sputters. “What gave you that idea??”

Lance just arches a brow.

“You get all blushy and trip over yourself around me.”

Hunk sighs. “Okay, yes.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Don’t get me wrong Lance, youre great and gorgeous..”

“So I’ve heard,” Lance mutters bitterly.

“But I don’t want to risk a good friendship with a relationship that likely won’t last.”

That makes Lance pause, ice building in his chest.

“What do you mean ‘likely’ won’t last? You think we’d date and then… crumble just like that?”

Hunk doesn’t answer, looking away.

“Hunk.”

“I’m sorry, Lance I just-”

“Yeah, I’m sorry too.”

Hunk feels something shift between them as Lance leaves without another word.

Lance berates himself on the way to the bridge. He should’ve left well enough alone. Hunk didn’t have to date him. But damn… was he really not relationship material? His own best friend and such …little faith?

The next day he’s looking over Pidge’s shoulder like he usually does. He likes being close to her. He doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about but he loves seeing her light up when she gets passionate.

Pidge feels a difference, though. It’s been eating at her for a while. His closeness makes her cheeks go red. She wants him to go but she wants him to stay. It confuses her. She doesn’t like that. Matt is standing a few feet away rambling off possible combinations for a code they’re working on.

“Do you need anything?”

Pidge responds without thinking. A bit more harshly than she means to.

“No, Lance. Wouldn’t want you to break a nail or dirty that pretty boy face of yours. Shouldn’t you have a face mask on at this time of night anyway?”

The effect is immediate. Before the reality of what she said catches up to her, Lance’s warmth that had been radiating at her back is gone and all she feels is cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. She turns around and she doesn’t see him.

“Where did he go?”

“As far as he could get, I’d bet,” Matt says.

She looks at him and what she sees kills her. For the first time, he looks…not angry at her. This is worse. He’s disappointed.

“Do you really think he’s just a pretty face?”

“No of course not! I know he’s more than that.”

“Well,” Matt says, going the same direction as Lance, “maybe start acting like it because I don’t think he knows it about himself.”

Matt hoped he’s caught up to Lance in time when he hears the Princess.

“Lance, if it’s not to much to ask, would you accompany me on a diplomatic mission? We have a ball to attend.”

Lance lights up. Finally something good! A diplomatic mission? He can finally show the team what he’s good at.

“It’s definitely not too much to ask! You can count on me. Is there anything I need to know?”

Allura pauses.

“Just… try not to say or do…anything. Let me handle the negotiations.”

“But-”

“Lance you’re the only person on the team the Kilvari will find attractive yet nonthreatening enough to be on my arm at an event like this.”

He wants to throw up.

So she thought he was attractive but otherwise….

“So you just want me to… stand there and look pretty? Be seen and not heard.”

When he says it like that it sounds…

“Well, yes- I mean, n-”

“Got it,” he says in a dull voice.

He turns and walks away and she feels like she dropped a heavy stone on the ground only for it to shatter like glass, only there’s no sound. Just cracked energy. It bites at her.

She looks at Coran and shrinks under his disappointed stare.

Matt can relate to him.

Lance passes Matt on his way out.

“Hey, Lance.”

Lance tries to smile, he really does. It looks tired.

“Come on,” Matt says.

Lance follows him wordlessly to the observation deck.

“You know you’re not just a hot piece of ass right?”

Lance laughs at his bluntness and it feels to Matt like it’s his first real laugh of the day.

“Yeah well, tell everyone else that.”

“I don’t care what they think of you. Not right now. I care what YOU think of you. I don’t want you getting it in your head that you’re not worth more than what you look like  because you are worth so much more.”

Lance smiles.

“Thanks, Matt.”

“Anytime.”

Despite that he avoids the others and sticks by Matt and Coran mostly. It starts to affect the team and their connection suffers. He’s so bitter and angry and hurt still and it’s a feeling he has toward all of them. They can’t form voltron.

It’s his fault. At least he feels like it is. He doesn’t want to give up and leave the universe hanging, no matter how replaceab- that’s it… he’ll find someone to replace him.

He has someone in mind too. The way he connects with everyone…does what Lance always wanted to do but with more success…

Matt is perfect.

He doesn’t tell Matt. Knows Matt won’t have the heart to accept it from Lance. So he’ll just have to make it happen.

He’ll have to break his own connection with voltron.

Permanently.

He begs and pleads for red to choose someone else until finally she relents. Closing her forcefield and not letting him in. He feels something deep inside of him snap, a shift in his quintessence that spreads to his every nerve.

He tells the team his lion has rejected him as they stand on the hangar. Blue, distressed by the turn of events that brought her old paladin to this roars in response and it causes Matt to fall against and through Red’s forcefield as she opens for him.

“Well,” Lance says, “guess you’re the red paladin now. Now, we better get going. We have a meeting with Lotor. It’s our first time meeting him in person and he needs to see Voltron’s paladins.”

He tosses Matt the red bayard and it transforms into a staff.

He shoots Lance a look that says they’ll be talking about this later and they head for the Castle entrance.

Lotor arrives alone. Odd. They thought his lady generals would accompany him.

Allura is diplomatically polite. If only because he saved them all.

He stares past her, though.

Lance stiffens when he realizes Lotor’s eyes are locked on him. Lance is out of paladin armor and in different clothing he got from some of the rebels staying in the castle.

“Hello, I am-”

“We know your name, Lotor,” Lance cuts him off, causing Lotor to smile at his directness, “fairly soon, we will know who you are.”

“But you said you knew-”

“I said we know your name. That and who you ARE aren’t one and the same.”

Lotor gives him a long look, considering him for a moment before his smirk is back.

“Very well then. Let me show you.”

Show him he does. Lance and Lotor spend a lot of time together and they do learn eachother. Lotor isn’t half bad, Lance finds and Lotor finds someone he can trust in Lance.

So he makes Lance an offer.

“You want me to fly your ship with you?”

Lotor nods. 

"I can think of no one else I trust with this now."

Lance thinks about it for two seconds and agrees. I mean, what else will he do? He's not a paladin anymore and Lotor actually trusts him to do things and values his input.

Lotor feels a weight in his chest lift. He's glad Lance said yes. He's got someone now. He only hopes Lance won't betray him.

Lance is reading in a secluded part of the castle. He decided to move to the same wing as Lotor since Allura is still feeling cautious.

Lotor sits across from him, a quick flicker of Lance's eyes from the pages of Lance's adventure novel to Lotor's face is the only acknowledgement he gets.

Lotor studies him, taking in every detail. His smooth skin, his long lashes, the look of concentration dulled by his attentive ears, the sad tilt to his lips that persisted since they met, slim yet sturdy shoulders that spoke of a strong will...

"You're incredible, you know." Lotor says. And it's so quiet Lance almost doesn't hear it.

He huffs in response. It's not what Lotor expected. He didn't know what he expected. He didn't know he'd say it until he did.

"Let me guess," Lance drawls, "you think I'm beautiful?"

Lotor is shocked by the sudden venom in his tone.

"Well, yes."

Lance slams his book shut, standing up abruptly. 

"You and everyone else," he says, walking away.

"More than that, you're kind. Genuinely kinder than anyone has ever been to me."

That makes Lance stop in his tracks, his back still to Lotor. He didn't expect more...

Lotor frowns. Has no one ever...

"You're observant and perceptive. Brilliant strategist... you're adaptable. You're the best marksman I've ever seen and Acxa was a deadly shot but you...."

Lance turns slowly, eyes shining. Lotor sees something in his expression he's never seen before.

And because he's never seen it before he cannot identify it.

Hope.

"Go on," Lance whispers.

"You're honest for the most part, but you also have hidden depths just waiting for ...someone to uncover them. You care... you care so much. And for me even. More than anyone ever has. You're loyal. You're dependable..."

Lance is coming closer and Lotor owes it to him to at least meet him halfway. He keeps talking on the way.

"I feel like I can tell you anything. I see you show warmth and affection to the people you save and I wish..." he stops as he finally reaches Lance who peers up at him from under thick brown lashes.

"Yes? You wish what?" He whispers.

Lotor's hands come up of their own accord to cup Lance's cheeks.

"I wish you'd show that same warmth and affection... to me. I wish... do you have all day because I can go on an on."

Lance laughs, a tear escaping his eyes and sliding down his cheek which Lotor wipes away.

"I think," Lance says, smiling harder than he had in weeks, "I can work something out. Just for you..."

And then soft lips touch Lotor's. He smiles into the kiss, pulling Lance closer.

The next day they show up to their meeting with voltron dressed similarly, a new armor to go with their new start.

Lance and Matt meet eyes, nodding to eachother.

Time to move forward.

 

 


End file.
